Movie: Awake (R)
Released: November 30th, 2007
Runtime: 1 hr. 18 min.
Ticket Price: Free Matinee
Refreshments: Red Vines
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard & Lena Olin
Director: Joby Harold

Rating: Worth a Rental

Synopsis: A rich man becomes aware during surgery, yet is paralyzed to the extent that he cannot communicate with the doctors about what is happening. While this is going on, the man’s wife is dealing with her own set of problems.

Review: Awake is a semi-engaging, yet mostly predictable, attempt at a psychological thriller, as there is not much psychology or thrills to be had. A review of this type of movie is always difficult, even though you will probably see most things coming, on the outside chance that you don’t, we don’t want to give too much away.

On the good side of things, was the performance of Lena Olin (TV’s Alias), as the mother of Hayden Christensen’s Clay Beresford, the man that goes under the knife for a heart transplant. Olin’s performance reminds you why season two of Alias was so great. She commands your attention when she is on screen. Also, Terrence Howard, as the transplant surgeon is great, in an understated performance. The guy is just good.

On the other side of things, pretty much anyone could have played Clay in as a convincing manor as found here, but since a lot of the acting is done via voiceover, someone better skilled at conveying emotion via narration might have been a better choice.

The movie’s runtime is quite short, but that is probably a good thing for the most part. If it had gone too much longer, Clay might have been the only one in the theater that was awake. Although, maybe a couple minutes longer would have been good. Then they could have given you a better wrap up, as opposed to the bookend shot it ends on, cause you kind of feel that it shouldn’t be over yet. You need more than a sentence of closure.

Overall, you should wait for the rental. The runtime and predictable-ness make it not worth even the matinee ticket price at your local theater.

What did you think of Awake?

This week, we don’t get a whole lot to choose from, as there are five new movies being released. One opens nationwide and another four are in limited release.

Opening Nationwide on Friday, November 30th:

Movie: Awake (R) (Read Review)
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard & Lena Olin
Genre: Thriller
Synopsis: A man becomes aware during surgery, yet is paralyzed to the extent that he cannot communicate with the doctors about what has happened. While this is going on, the man’s wife is dealing with her set of problems.
First Thoughts: Has a pretty short runtime, but is supposed to have a few twists and turns throughout. The cast looks good, but since there isn’t really anything else to choose from this week, it looks like this will be the winner by default.

Movie in Limited Release:

• Chronicle of an Escape – This is a political drama in which a soccer player is taken by the Argentine government. He is held captive and tortured and he tries to plot his escape. Opens today, Wednesday, November 28th.
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Docudrama about Jean-Dominique Bauby, who was the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine and had a stroke at age 43, which resulted in locked-in syndrome. He was almost totally paralyzed, except for his left eye, which he could blink. He used that eye to blink out his memoir.
• Protaganist – Documentary that attempts to explores the organic relationship between human life and Euripidean dramatic structure by using the stories of four men: a German terrorist, a bank robber, an ex-gay evangelist, and a martial arts student.
• The Savages - Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman star in this family dramedy about a brother and sister that having not ever really got along, must now come together to care for their father who is going senile. Opens today, Wednesday, November 28th.

For New Movie Friday there is one new movie this week to choose from. It is Awake. What new movie will you be heading out to see this weekend?

Movie: Hitman (R)
Released: November 21st, 2007
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Red Vines & Small Popcorn
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko & Robert Knepper
Director: Xavier Gens

Rating: Worth a Rental

Synopsis: A professional assassin that was born and raised to be one by a secret group. On one of his missions he is setup and when they miss, he vows to find out why. An Interpol agent and the Russian secret police are looking for him. He meets a beautiful, but damaged young woman while searching for who set him up and she begins to stir up unfamiliar emotions.

Review: Hitman is all style over substance. With all the creative people in Hollywood, you would think they would be able to better flesh out a story for a movie based on a video game. But, they just don’t seem able. Yet, Hitman is one of the better ones, but we all know that isn’t saying much.

In the hierarchy of video game based movies, Hitman would rank above Resident Evil and way above terrible adaptations like BloodRayne and Wing Commander. You would probably find it hanging out with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider on that list.

Hitman wants to be one of the Bourne films, but falls short, because it doesn’t have the depth of those films. Really, it feels like you are watching somebody playing the game, instead of watching a movie. There are some cool fight scenes, like the one that takes place in a train car and then under it at the station, but there needs to be more to make a good movie.

For fans of the video game, it looks like they tried to put in plenty of scenes that look right out of the game. I think they even have a scene where two people are playing the game in the background, as Agent 47 comes busting through.

If you are a fan of the game, then you might want to see it on the big screen, but for everyone else, you can wait for the rental.

What did you think of Hitman?

This week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, all the new movies this week begin today. There are eight new movies being released. Five open nationwide and another three are in limited release.

Opening Nationwide on Wednesday, November 21st:

Movie: August Rush (PG)
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Terrence Howard & Robin Williams
Genre: Musical Drama
Synopsis: Two young musicians meet and fall in love. After a romantic night, she ends up pregnant. She had promised to meet him again, but her father rushed her away. She is led to believe that her baby was lost in an accident. He is crushed when she doesn’t show up and stops playing music. The baby grows up to be quite the musician himself and uses his talents to try and find his parents.
First Thoughts: This looks terribly sappy and contrived, even more so than your standard movie plot. There will be no November rush to the theater to see this one.

Movie: Enchanted (PG)
Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey & James Marsden
Genre: Family Comedy
Synopsis: A beautiful fairytale princess is banished to the real world by an evil queen. She ends up in Manhattan and doesn’t know what to make of the strange new land. A divorce lawyer that is down on love helps her and she starts to fall for him. The prince from fairytale land, who has been promised her hand in marriage, comes to rescue her.
First Thoughts: This actually looks kind of fun and might be a fun family time at the movies this holiday weekend.

Movie: Hitman (R) (Read Review)
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko & Robert Knepper
Genre: Action
Synopsis: A professional assassin that was born and raised to be one by a secret group. On one of his missions he is setup and when they miss, he vows to find out why. An Interpol agent and the Russian secret police are looking for him. He meets a beautiful, but damaged young woman while searching for who set him up and she begins to stir up unfamiliar emotions. Based on the video game.
First Thoughts: Saw this early this morning. It is definitely a style over substance type action movie. There are a few cool fight scenes and it has the feel of one of the Bourne movies, but lacks their depth. A full review is forthcoming.

Movie: The Mist (R)
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden & Andre Braugher
Genre: Horror
Synopsis: After a thunderstorm passes through a small town, a mysterious mist hangs around. Some unknown and vicious creatures attack anyone who enters the mist. The people start to think that an experiment gone wrong at a nearby military base may be responsible. Those remaining find themselves trapped in the local supermarket. They band together to figure out their best chance of survival.
First Thoughts: Holds no interest for me, even though I like Andre Braugher (TV’s Homicide: Life on the Streets).

Movie: This Christmas (PG-13)
Starring: Delroy Lindo, Loretta Devine, Regina King, Idris Elba, Mekhi Phifer & Columbus Short
Genre: Family Holiday Drama
Synopsis: A family and all their baggage comes home for a Christmas they will never forget. Revelations test their family bonds, but they start to try and help each other out and grow closer as a result.
First Thoughts: This looks like something I might watch next Christmas when it hits the likes of HBO or Showtime.

Movie in Limited Release:

• I’m Not There – A biographical drama of Bob Dylon where multiple actors portray the man at different stages in his life.
• Nina’s Heavenly Delights – Drama about a closeted lesbian that returns to Scotland soon after he father dies and finds his restaurant up for sale. He had entered into a cooking contest and Nina vows to win it in memory of her father.
• Starting Out in the Evening – A man that has been struggling to finish his novel for 10 years has a young woman that is doing a college thesis on his work comes to him and opens up a long dormant part of his life.

Expanding to more theaters this week are No Country for Old Men and Margot at the Wedding.

For New Movie Friday there are six new movies at a theater near me this week to choose from. They are August Rush, Enchanted, Hitman, The Mist, This Christmas and I’m Not There. What new movie will you be heading out to see this weekend?